As part of I Am The Agent's guide to property hotspots, we will be spotlighting areas every week. This week we are looking at living in Shenfield. 

Looking at commuting from Essex?

It won’t be long till Crossrail is complete and the commute to Essex will be a breeze.

 Shenfield is already a popular place with commuters, and once Crossrail travel is available you can be in London in less than fifty minutes. Shenfield borders the Essex countryside, which is mainly overshadowed by its better-known towns. It’s only27 miles from central London and a short drive drive from the large Essex town of Brentwood.

 The new line is of course attracting investment, making it a magnet for commuters. There is also a great choice of schools too, making it popular with families.

 Rightmove stats show the average price for a 1-bedroom flat in Shenfield at November 2016 was £245,000 (or £825 per month to rent). That’s pretty good value so close to London, but expect the prices to rise soon. Local estate agents report a shortage of flats near the station that are always popular with young commuters.

 There’s also a lot of family homes at the other end of the market, with a 4-bedroom family home average price at £812,000 (£2,219 a month).

 There is an interesting mix of properties in the quiet town, ranging from pretty period cottages near the church in the centre of the old village, some Victorian semi-detached houses, and then the later developments from the 1920s to the 1950s.

 Road travel from Shenfield is great too, with easy access to the M25, A12 and M11. The fast train service to Liverpool Street takes 25 minutes. You don’t even have to travel as far as London for work, with some opting to commute to Romford, just a short hop on the train or by road.

copy courtesy of @homesandproperty @wikipedia